Uighur Muslims living in fear
China’s Ambassador Madam Wu Xi, speaking in Auckland on Monday, said the “so-called genocide in Xinjiang are total lies and rumours” . . . “fabricated by some anti-China forces without any evidence”.
We are not “anti-China” but do take issue with the ambassador’s assertion. The government she represents is certainly imposing its ideology on Uighur communities in Xinjiang.
In 2018, we visited Xinjiang, including Kashgar and Urumchi. We cannot comment on the question of genocide but saw much evidence that squares with international media reporting of issues in Western China since 2018.
From our observation, the indigenous population were totally intimidated by Han Chinese from outside the region. Mosques were empty because Uighur people were fearful of the consequences of public prayer. Families were worried about a neighbour or family member reporting on them. Cameras with facial recognition capacity were omnipresent on highways leading into Kashgar. The city was saturated with cameras.
We were told family members had been taken away to re-education and work camps. Pressure and fear were widespread and palpable and we left the region feeling highly uncomfortable with the Chinese approach to its Uighur population.
John Hayes, Greytown. Michael Potts, Kelburn.
Happy returns
A correspondent ( NZ Herald, May 4) suggests that 8.5 per cent annual appreciation of Auckland property isn’t all the much. Two factors, however, make that return extremely high.
One is that the gain, if realised, is taxfree taking the annual return to well over 10 per cent on a pre-tax basis. Another factor with even greater impact is that most investment properties are leveraged. If we assume an average mortgage of 75 per cent, the return on equity is not 8.5 per cent but four times as much at 34 per cent per annum tax-free. That is indeed a very high annual return.
Small wonder that building property portfolios has become a favourite pastime for those able to participate.
Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay.
Point of order
As the third most influential individual in NZ, ranking only behind the GovernorGeneral and the Chief Justice, the Parliamentary Speaker must at all times show an independent decorum that befits this respected position, but also in Parliament adopt a totally unbiased approach as the responsible mediator and chairperson of our hard-won democracy.
It seems certain that, sadly, the Rt. Hon. Trevor Mallard has failed on both these counts. His Prime Minister should acknowledge these facts, and have the courage to ask him to quietly resign. Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Monstrous buses
Michael Barnett ( NZ Herald, May 4) is right. AT needs a good “shake-up” on so many aspects of its operations. It is particularly heartbreaking to see 50+ seat monsters, most carrying no more than three or four passengers.
They should take a look at Hong Kong’s “light bus” system; most of them built for 16-22 passengers only.
Peter Cooper, Ellerslie.
Brisbane example
Michael Barnett ( NZ Herald, May 4) argues that AT should not focus on public transport but invest in getting traffic moving. He says; “The target for Auckland should be a similar-sized Australian city such as Brisbane.”
Does he mean the Brisbane just across the Tasman? Surely he cannot have got that wrong?
That Brisbane already has 25km of dedicated busways and is currently installing another 21km. It already has nearly 800km of train lines and 149 stations, with a high-speed rail link to the airport from the central city. Plus it is already building a cross-river rail network to join existing rail networks.
And, years ago, Brisbane moved its port and the congestion that creates, a long way from the city centre, putting in dual gauge railway tracks so the port connects to the rest of Australia.
It is pretty sad that the Chair of the Auckland Business Forum, advocating for the planning and delivery of the Auckland transport programme, has not really looked into how far behind similar cities Auckland has fallen in providing modern public transport alternatives for reducing congestion, and can only think about how to get more traffic on the roads.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Unknown factors
The Covid-19 article ( NZ Herald, May 3) by Adam Pearse quoted microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles’ belief that branding unknown aspects of (Covid) outbreaks as failures did a disservice to frontline border workers. Wiles is quoted as saying “I find it offensive, actually . . . that is completely downgrading their work.”
Broadcasters have regularly characterised our border as marked by failures, incompetence and sloppiness: “Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.”
Steve Walker, Tauranga.
In perspective
I rang my sister in the UK a few days ago and sang Happy Birthday to her. She thanked me and seemed unusually elated.
She said it had been an exceptionally good week as the UK Government had just allowed everyone to get takeaways. She said they haven’t had meals in restaurants; been to the movies; been to concerts; been to sports events, or any mass gathering of any sort for months and months, in fact probably since March last year.
So when I read all the moaning letters in the Herald about New Zealand’s pandemic plight, I just think, “we don’t know how lucky we are”.
Derek John, rewa.
Scant scanning
If there is a community outbreak in NZ, the quicker the contact tracing team can work the better. QR code scanning will greatly aid the contact tracing team.
I do not understand why most businesses do not insist that customers scan the code before entering the premises or prior to purchase of goods or services. Yet, when there is an outbreak and we have to move to Alert Level 2 or Alert Level 3, the business owners are the first to go on radio or TV to say how badly their businesses are doing.
Businesses should insist on customers scanning the QR code or deny the customers services/goods/entry.
Heng Teoh, Parnell.
Falling for trees
Of course we all love native trees, but S. Hansen ( NZ Herald, May 4) seems to have forgotten that the wealth of Hawke’s Bay lies in exotic fruit trees and vines. Perhaps corridors of edible fruit trees would keep everyone happy, including our fauna?
Take one look at the gorgeous autumn colours and see why people grow exotics. Winter is around the corner and those same trees allow the light to penetrate into canopy-darkened homes, fields and waterways. Here’s a shout for diversity.
Mary Tallon, Takapuna.
Club merit
Much has been commented recently on the excellent Blues debut of young Zarn Sullivan and his progression from Kings College to Auckland Mitre 10 Cup to the Blues.
What isn’t noted is that between Kings and Auckland, Zarn spent all of 2020 playing in the hard-nosed territory of Auckland club rugby for College Rifles.
That’s where Zarn learnt his way around those traps. Another reason that club rugby must be sustained at all costs.
Dennis Ross, Glendowie.
Parker contest
Some publications put Joseph Parker the eighth-best current heavyweight boxer; sign he is a wee way off fighting back at the top. Another boxer at the same level, Alexander Povetkin of Russia, recently lost a rematch with Dillian Whyte.
Although Povetkin is 41, he is a tough rooster, and if he would be up for it, it may be the ideal contest to see if Parker has the goods still.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupo¯.
Tectonic plates
I agree with Tim Rix-Trott ( NZ Herald, May 5) about number plates starting with FFS.
Some people might take offence but where he lives in Raglan, world famous for its surf breaks, FFS could be adopted as a motto, standing for “fabulous foaming swells”. For those of us in Auckland who crawl through traffic on our daily commute, FFS expresses perfectly the sentiment Mr Rix-Trott’s letter implies.
It’s all in how one wishes to interpret the plate.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark